Zahi hawass biography

Dr. Zahi Hawass

Honorary Chairman, Antiquities Coalition Advisory Council, Egyptologist and Former Minister of Antiquities of Egypt

World-renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass is the former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities and Director of Excavations at Giza, Saqqara, Bahariya Oasis, and the Valley of the Kings. Dr Hawass received his PhD in from the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied as a Fulbright Fellow. He has written numerous scholarly articles and books, and is a highly respected Egyptologist. Known for his charisma and ability to reach out to the public, for more than thirty years he has been raising awareness of archaeology and the preservation of Egypt’s precious heritage.

Dr Hawass has made a number of major discoveries over the course of his career, including the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza and the Valley of the Golden Mummies at Bahariya Oasis. He has discovered two previously unknown Old Kingdom pyramids, one near the Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza, and one belonging to a queen of King Teti at Saqqara. Also at Saqqara, he rediscovered the pyramid of the 6th Dynasty queen Khuit, along with another pyramid which he has determined that it belonged to a 5th Dynasty queen. Dr Hawass has been involved in several other important archaeological projects. He led the search for the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony on the premises of a Ptolemaic temple near Alexandria. He enriched the search for the so-called “hidden doors” inside the Great Pyramid. In addition, Dr Hawass launched a new excavation under the Nile River’s waters, searching for missing obelisks and statues.

One of the most significant research efforts led and managed by Dr Hawass was the Egyptian Mummy Project (EMP), which used modern forensic techniques such as CT and DNA analysis to answer questions about the royal mummies. Some of the most important discoveries that Dr Hawass has made through the EMP are his identification of the mummy of Queen Hatshepsut, the uncovering o

Egyptian Egyptologist (born )

Zahi Abass Hawass (Egyptian Arabic: زاهي حواس; born May 28, ) is an Egyptianarchaeologist, Egyptologist, and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, a position he held twice. He has worked at archaeological sites in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert and the Upper Nile Valley.

Early life

Hawass was born in a small village near Damietta, Egypt. Although he originally dreamed of becoming an attorney, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Greek and Roman Archaeology from Alexandria University in In , Hawass earned a diploma in Egyptology from Cairo University. He then worked at the Great Pyramids as an inspector—a combination of administrator and archaeologist.

When he was 33 years old, Hawass was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia to study Egyptology, earning a Master of Arts degree in the subject and also one in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology in , and his PhD in Egyptology in from the Graduate Group in the Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World (AAMW), concentrating on "The Funerary Establishments of Khufu, Khafra and Menkaura During the Old Kingdom."

Career

Archaeology and early government career

Hawass was Associate Director of Excavation at Hermopolis in and Tarrana – Since , he has been Excavation Director and Restoration Director at various sites throughout Egypt, predominantly Giza.

From to , Hawass was Inspector of Antiquities for a multitude of archaeological expeditions, for instance the Yale Expedition at Abydos, Egypt in , and Abu Simbel between and

He sporadically taught Egyptian archaeology and history and culture at universities in Egypt and the USA between and , most notably at the American University in Cairo, the University of California, Los Angeles and Alexandria University. Hawass has described his efforts as try

Short Biography
Zahi Hawass

World-renowned archaeologist, Zahi Hawass currently serves as Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities and Director of Excavations at Giza, Saqqara and the Bahariya Oasis. 

Dr. Hawass is responsible for many exciting recent discoveries, including the Tombs of the Pyramid Builders at Giza and many other discoveries concerning the construction of the pyramid. He discovered the satellite pyramid of Khufu and revealed the secrets behind the so-called doors found inside the pyramid. He also excavated at Bahariya Oasis where he discovered the Valley of the Golden Mummies. This find is considered to be the King Tut of the Graeco-Roman period. He also found the tombs of the governor of Bahariya and his family under the houses in the town of El-Bawiti. This discovery is regarded as one of the most amazing adventures in archaeology. His excavations at Saqqara revealed many important archaeological discoveries around the pyramid of Teti, such as the tomb of the physician Qar, and the rediscovery of the “headless pyramid.” He led an Egyptian team in the examination of the mystery of King Tut’s mummy through the use of a CT-scan. Dr. Hawass has lectured on these discoveries all over the world in front of large audiences, including kings, queens, the general public, and media.

Hawass is extremely concerned about the conservation and protection of Egypt’s monuments. He has carried out a major conservation project on the Great Sphinx and developed site management plans for a number of important sites, including the Unfinished Obelisk Quarry in Aswan and the temples of Kom Ombo, Edfu and Dendera.  Currently, he is completing site management plans for the West Bank of Luxor, Giza, and Saqqara.

Dr. Hawass’s dynamic personality and extensive knowledge have sparked global interest in Ancient Egypt. He has brought the world of the pharaohs into the homes and hearts of people all over the wor

Dr Zahi Hawass

Zahi Hawass was born in a small village called Abeedya near Damietta in Egypt in As a child he never dreamed of being an archaeologist, but rather a lawyer. He went to school to study law at 15, but decided this was too boring and chose to try a new department that had just opened in the Faculty of Arts: archaeology. Still, he hated studying and only ever just passed his classes. At 20 he graduated with his BA in Greek and Roman Archaeology from Alexandria University and was given a job as an Inspector of Antiquities by the government. Back then, the government gave everyone who graduated college a job. 

When he joined the Antiquities Department he found out that everyone hated one another and he thought to himself “I cannot live with these people” because he always strives to keep the peace. So instead he went to study to try to be a diplomat. He passed the written exam but failed the oral exam. From there he wanted to try a career in the Ministry of Tourism but could not be accepted. He also tried and failed to work in the Department of Cinema that is a part of the Ministry of Culture. With sadness, he returned to the Antiquities Department in Cairo. He met with the head of the department, Dr. Gamal Mokhtar, who informed him he was too absent from work. Dr. Mokhtar told Hawass he had signed a decree for him to join the excavation site in the desert. Hawass told him “I cannot go and live in the desert!” At that time, he was in love with a girl in Cairo and could not bear to leave her. But Dr. Mokhtar said if he did not go he would cut 15 days of his salary. So Hawass traveled to the site. It was a huge project with more than workmen. 

Sitting in a tent on a Thursday, Hawass was waiting to go home for the weekend to Cairo. Then, one of the workmen came to him. His name was Faraq. He and the other workmen were from Qift and were experts in excavation and restoration, taught by all the foreign excavations that happened in the area.